Balloon and sealing means therefor

ABSTRACT

An inflatable balloon is sealed gas-tight by an apertured disc which pinches together a doubled-over section of the neck of the balloon. A string optionally may be attached to the neck by the same disc.

United States Patent Allison et al.

1,680,318 8/1928 Callahan 46/90 BALLOON AND SEALING MEANS THEREFOR Rudolph L. Allison; Gary L. Lindstrand, both of Rockford, Ill.

Assignee: MTL Incorporated, Rockford, Ill. Filed: Aug. 28, 1972 Appl. No.: 284,233

Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 133,143, April 12, 1971, Pat. No. 3,720,991.

Inventors:

US. Cl. 46/90 Int. Cl A63h 3/06 Field of Search 46/87, 88, 89, 90;

273/58 C, 65 C, 65 D References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1451 Jan. 8, 1974 2,396,906 3/1946 Windson 46/90 2,669,462 2/1954 Baggott 1. 46/88 1,543,954 6/1925 Shira 46/88 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay 12/1961 France Attorney-Wolfe, Hubbard,-'Leydig, Voit, &Osann,

Edward B. Holt [57] ABSTRACT An inflatable balloon is sealed gas-tight by an apertured disc which pinches together a doubled-over section of the neck of the balloon A string optionallymay be attached to the neck by the same disc.

4 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and improved balloon with a comparatively inexpensive and extremely gas-tight seal which may be applied to the balloon in a fast and simple manner without need of either tying cord to or permanently knotting the neck of the balloon.

A further object is to-provide a balloon with a tight and secure seal which-may be released quickly and easily to enable selective deflation of the balloon.

Another object is to provide a balloon with a unique seal consisting of an apertured sealing disc which not only is effective to pinch and seal the neck of the balloon but which also may. optionally serve to anchor a string to the neck.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentfrom the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED. EMBODIMENT The present invention contemplates the provision of a novel balloon having a body 16 and a neck 17 and having a comparatively inexpensive apertured sealing disc 19 which may be attached quickly and easily to the neck to pinch the latter tightly and securely and thereby prevent the escape of gas from the body. In spite of the tight seal thus effected, the sealing disc may be released from the neck easily if there is need to deflate the balloon and, in addition, the disc may be used to anchor a string 20 to the neck if it is desired to provide the balloon with such a string.

More specifically, the sealing disc 19 illustrated herein is made of flexible but self-sustaining plastic, is substantially flat and circular, and is formed with a centrally located hole 21. While the dimensions of the disc may vary, the present disc has an overall diameter of approximately three-fourths inch and a hole with a diameter of about one-eighth inch and is used in conjunction with a balloon 15 whose neck 17 has an expanded diameter of about five-eighths inch.

Sealing of a newly inflated balloon 15 by the disc 19 is effected by first stretchingthe neck 17 across one face of the disc and then, while holding the body 16 and the outer end of the neck, by forcing an intermediate portion of the neck through the hole 21 sufficiently far to double the neck over upon itself (see FIG. 2). As an incident to being forced through the hole, the doubledover sections of the neck are contractedand. pinched together by the edges of the hole andare held tightly by such edges to effect a good. gas-tight seal preventing the escape of gas from the balloon. The resilient fold of the doubled-over sections of the neck expands considerably after passing through the hole and formsaknob. 23 (FIG. 2) which is much larger than. the hole. and

which retains the disc securely on the neck toprevent the disc from being dislodged accidentally. If it isdesired to deflate the balloon, however, thedisc may be released by firmly pulling on the innerandouter ends of the neck to force the-doubled-over section reversely through the hole. The ease of deflation afforded by the disc is advantageous in. that a retail merchandising outlet may deflate any helium-filled balloons remaining unsold in the evening and may re-inflate the balloons for sale at a later time rather than bursting and discarding the unsold balloons. I

When a string 20 is to be attached to the balloon 1 5, the string first is simply interw'rapped with the neck 17 prior to stretching the neck across the disc 1 9(sec FIG. 4). The neck and the string may be interwrapped either by spirally winding a short length of the string around the neck or by twisting the neck around the string. Thereafter, the short length of string isforced through the hole 21 in the disc simultaneously with the neck and thus is doubled over upon itself and is gripped by the contracted, doubled-over sections of the neck as shown in FIG. 2. The string thus becomes anchored s ecurely to the neck at the same time the neck is sealed and without need of tying the string.

Illustrated in FIG. 4 is a machine 25 for automatically attaching sealing discs 19 to a series of balloons 1 5 in a quick and easy manner. V

In general, the preferredmachine 25 includes a sealing station 26 (FIG. 4) to which successive discs 19 are delivered automatically. Each time a balloon I5 is to be sealed, its'neck 17 (either with or without an interwrapped string 20') is stretched manually across the disc in the sealing station and then is engaged by a power driven needle 27 which first forces the neck through the hole 21 in the disc and then releases the doubled-over neck to enable removal of the balloon and the disc from the sealing station prior to delivery of a succeeding disc to the station. The entire sealing operation may be completed in approximately one Sel ond and effects secure attachment of the disc and'the string to the balloon.

The machine is described in its entirety in the aforementioned application to which reference may be made for a more complete explanation of the construction and operation of the machine.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention brings to the art a balloon 15 with a unique, inexpensive and comparatively gas-tight seal. The seal may be easily applied, easily removed and also may serve to anchor a string to the balloon.

We claim as our invention:

1. A balloon inflated with gas and having a body and a neck, and means for sealing said neck to retain said gas in said body, said means comprising a disc having a hole therethrough, said neck extending through said hole, being doubled over upon and against itself and then extending reversely through the same hole with a portion of said doubled-over portion of the neck intermediate the ends thereof being pinched together by the edges of said hole to prevent gas from escaping from of the edges of said hole pinching said neck against said the open end of said neck. string p 2- A balloon 8S defined in Claim 1 further including 3 A as defined in cla 1 in said hole an elongated string having an end portion extending along a portion of Said neck the end portion of Said 5 is circular and is formed with a continuous and unbrostring also being doubled over upon itself, projecting edgethrough said hole, and anchored to said neck by virtue 

1. A balloon inflated with gas and having a body and a neck, and means for sealing said neck to retain said gas in said body, said means comprising a disc having a hole therethrough, said neck extending through said hole, being doubled over upon and against itself and then extending reversely through the same hole with a portion of said doubled-over portion of the neck intermediate the ends thereof being pinched together by the edges of said hole to prevent gas from escaping from the open end of said neck.
 2. A balloon as defined in claim 1 further including an elongated string having an end portion extending along a portion of said neck, the end portion of said string also being doubled over upon itself, projecting through said hole, and anchored to said neck by virtue of the edges of said hole pinching said neck against said string.
 3. A balloon as defined in claim 1 in which said hole is circular and is formed with a continuous and unbroken edge. 